Sunday, November 26, 2017

Air Choice One exploring possible Jackson to Atlanta flight

McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport Executive Director Steve Smith confirmed Air Choice One is exploring the possibility of adding a flight from Jackson to Atlanta.Smith said the possibility began two years ago as a potential connecting flight from St. Louis to Atlanta during a conversation with Air Choice One Owner Shane Storz.“As we’ve gotten to the point now where our numbers are good, and things look good, we’re looking at other places,” Smith said. “I think Atlanta is a workable destination.”Smith said “it’s a real possibility” the flight could be added by next March. The news follows the announcement earlier this month of Air Choice One exploring adding a flight from Jackson to Florida’s Gulf Coast.Currently, Air Choice One has one destination flight out of Jackson to St. Louis. The possibility of tripling that number by this time next year is exciting to Smith.“As that happens, the frequency of flights would definitely increase — and that’s what it’s all about, is the frequency,” he said.The Jackson to Atlanta flight would replace one of the weekday flights from Jackson to St. Louis. There is no set price-point for tickets but Smith said they would be “favorable” to the St. Louis flight, which is about $70 roundtrip.The flight to Atlanta would bring more international destinations for Jackson and West Tennessee travelers as St. Louis has several — including Reykjavik, Iceland, but not direct flights to Paris and London, Smith said. Adding more destination flights is crucial for McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport and Smith is hopeful the flight to Atlanta will help the airport in its attempts to become federalized, which would help the airport gain more credibility outside the region.“That’s one of our major goals here,” he said. “Because if you are federalized and if you have TSA, then other airlines will look at you and look at the possibilities and what they can do to help Jackson-Madison County.”Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.jacksonsun.com